Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-04-08
FAST DAY SERVICES.

ABSTRACT or REV. MR.. PARRYs SERMON
PREACHED At THE UNION SERVICE TINS
MORNING.
Union Fast day services were held in the
Methodist church this morning at II O'Clock.
Rev. Mr. McAnn read the scriptures and
Rev. c. o. Day offered prayer. Rev. Mr.
Parry preached the sermon, taking his
text from Zech. iv., PA.
Zechariah he said, was the most remarkable OF
all the prophets for his application Of the grand
est prophetic symbols 10 thu simplest and most
practical purposes systematically magnificent
are most u hs prophecies, they all find All
earthly use Their very grandeur, together it'll
the halo Of mystery that surrounds their imagery.
makes more lmpiessiyethc thought they enbody
The prophecy that ask YOU to consider tins morn
ing was peuned nearly 800 years before the com.
ing Of Christ II was uttered as an encourage
ment 10 the people, engaged as they were in the
land to its former condition. The prophet
seven brauched golden laInpstand, ON the top Of
which was bowl or reservoir for oil: from the
bowl Out seven pipes To feed the seven lamps:
on the right and left Of the lampStand or Candida
bra stood an olive tree, and from each tire went
forth "a golden pipe for the How of oil from the
tree into the bowl on the top Of the lampstand.
The meaning seems 10 be this; the seven branched
chandelier symboliZ,.s the kingdom of God; th,
flowing oil symbolizes the grace OF Gods spirit
the two olive tTt-es symbolic Joshua, the priest
and Aeupbbab.l, tine magistrate, the priest AMI
the magistrate being the two anuinted ones whu
stand before the Lord Of the whole Earth.
Called together as W. are by invitation Of the
boNtiu0T pl tue NlSutl stt.iils SNestl
fitting theme for our consideration, namely the
relation that exists between the magistrate and
the priest, or the state and the church, The
speaker then showed from the incident Of ChriSts
answer to the Herodians and Pharis-,-s, VINO
sought to entangle him In a political controversy,
that Their. were things that belong to the stat.
and must he rendered 10 the state. The problem
| of the origin of civn government was then con
sidered, and the various theories noticed and the
conclusion finally reached that civil government
I is of divine origin and consequently Of divine au-
/ thorty. Government Is to Ia accepted as a Iii
vine tacf which exists as soon as and wherever
men exist. Thene never has been a nation so de
| graded that it had no government There never
has been a nation so advanced that il Intentional
ly based its government on the idea Of civil
| compact Men never have lived, and men never
| will live. because men never can live without
government. Government is a divine fact, just
rs light or gravltation or man himself is "a divine
fact Civic authority Is one Of the two olive trees
or anointed ones that stand before the Lord OF
the whOle earth. We arr told IN Holy Writ that
magistrates arr Gods ministers; that resistance
to government is resistance 10 God; whosOever,
therefore, resisteth the authorities ressteth what
God has ordained And this brings to US the ques-
ton whether riot orrryolutiOn are ever Unstable
Men eminent in various spheres are writing and
telling of the good results that must of necessity
flow from the communistlc uprisings and riots OF
the past few months and out of these discus
sons have arisen questions that are among the
most momentOlls that the possible fortunes of our
country cau put to the Christian citizen. After "A
consideration of the question Of resistance to
government the speaker laid down the general
principle that no possible justification could b.
found until every means of constitutional redress
had been exhausted. Under the ordinary cOndi-
tons of society, resistance to government is re-.
sistance 10 God and this for the simple reason
that civil government Is Il divine ordinance, And
since this Is the natuTeo of civil government, Chris
tAs should cheelfully support IL and participa
tion In civil affairs OF politics is a religious duty
The forms OF intdelity and political atheism and
false philanthropy that have arisen among the
American people might have been kept from us
II Christian men had always stood forth for GOD
and country, casting religious salt into the foun
tainiof the national conscience, and pouring reli
giOus light over the troubled waters of our pOli
tics.
: But while civil government AS a divine orii
nance Is a minister Of Gods service, the churcl
Of the living God Is the other Of the two olive trtai
or anonted ones that stand before the Lord OF til,
whole earth In a preAnlinent sense is the churcl
Of Christ divine institution. OF the mass Of mel
il is true however, that they are better patriot
than Christians. They demand for the state tn,
things that belong to It, but have little conceII
whether there is rendered To God the things tina
belong To God. Though church and state are eacl
divine institutions they are yet diynely meant u
4 while there was but one chandelier. there wer
&; two olive trees aud rach emptitd the oil out O
| itstii through ats own golden lipe into the com
mon r''serN Dir ON thu top Of the lanlp-stand Til
TWO tres stood apart; ln the demand for legisla
ton In behalf Of the church can he seen the devil
victory over the church at precisely the pOhi
where the devil was vanquished by the church
a Master. The most direfu day the church eve
r. saw was the day when Constantine the Great Ia,
= ing renOunced heathensnI, proclaimed himself tn
- imperial patron of Christ ianty on the defender q
the lnlth. Ihal alliance Of church and state -
back the church for centuries, and to this day Sh
- IS re''ling beneath the wounds she then recevet
a The resources OF the church OF the enthruned En-
manuel art ogreat 70 neel the DEGREES Of earth
= CAESARS. The church must r-sd on God and in II
4, name set up her banners.
4 But, though church and state are separate Y,
y there n an nterielatiOn; they have a cummO
mission and common focns-the supply Of o
Il for the one candlestick Of Chrst's kingdom. II
- not the vital union of spirit and body but the 60
II porate r-laiion at the two arms in one body; N
II church serN lax as Gods right hand and the stat
d as Gels left u b the high priest Aaron and Ii
AZ Legislator Mo%s; the prophet Ezekiel and q
y statesman Daniel; the pontitf Joshua and ii
IL governor Zerubbabel These are the two anoiute
Al ones who stood before the Lord Of the who
~ earth
a In ourown nation We have come nearer to God
sc great ideal than any nation of the earth The o
N World Is beginning 10 learn our American way
"A and the severance Of church aud state is a woI
- lhat goes steadily ON .alnong them, But viii
d this Is true yet no state will ever he allie To mi
t. It's diVinely appointed mission without the churc
s. No nation has ever existed without the element
~ religious influence. No great legislator ever q
% tempted to enforce obedience TO law ON the so
W ground Of its civil sanctions or TEMPORAL D.ni
il ties. Lycurgus and Scion aud Numa Pompilius
M and indeed, every legislator of the ancient wor
~ IL all famed for the wisdom Of his laws-derlv,
ih from religion their mightiest motivea to enfor
ell o0edience TO them, Whenever, as In the France
~, the attempt has heen made 20 remove the /
stIaint of religion from the mind Of the people Ii
lie ruin that has fallen has loudly proclaimed tn
IN the influence OF the divnely ordained church W
NJ needed for the preservation of civic power IN
N Is emphaucay true Of free and self govern
VII people Ike ourselves II the church is kept pu
III % - nsIiseN ~ snoulu DC she Mlu continue
: dews the learning and genius of the people al
ne lay her strong hand on the energies Of trade al
commerce, and lift her voice In the halls of leg
b. lation, and fling abroad her power 10 pervade d
% arts and sciences and literature and politics Of
government whose ally she must ever be i'm |
manifestins Of that Kingdom In which Christ
in finally 70 be acknowledged as the King of Kin
% and Lord of Lords
To 1t is notable fact that a congregati
Is which filled the church was in attendance
te
lal Green River.
an The ladies aid society will meet with Mi
Geo Farnun next phtlrsdav aftarn,,,, a,